WIU RPTA Grad Student, Faculty Experience Chinese Rural Culture in Jinhua Homestay Project

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WIU Dept. of Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration (RPTA) Assistant Professor Jeremy Robinett learning how to create Chinese calligraphy during his time in the Jinhua Homestay Project in the summer of 2015.
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Robinett and Mary Fuller (Corning, IA), a master's degree candidate in the WIU RPTA department, during their time in the Jinhua Homestay Project. Fuller is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV), who is studying in Western's RPTA department through the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs' Peace Corps Fellows Program in Community Development. She completed her Peace Corps service in Zambia.
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Fuller (right) during her time in the Jinhua Homestay Project. Sponsored by the Foreign and Overseas-Chinese Affairs Office of Jinhua Municipal People's Government, the project provides participants with comprehensive introductions to the history, customs and architecture of traditional Chinese villages and offers them opportunities to experience local culture and learn traditional Chinese handicrafts.
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WIU RPTA Grad Student, Faculty Experience Chinese Rural Culture in Jinhua Homestay Project

October 13, 2015

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MACOMB, IL — Learning how to make tofu and soy milk and to create Chinese calligraphy were among the cultural lessons a Western Illinois University graduate student and a faculty member experienced last summer during a three-week stay in rural China as part of the pilot Jinhua Homestay Project.

"We also learned how to play traditional musical instruments and had lessons about Chinese crafts, such as paper cutting, pottery and clay sculptures," explained Mary Fuller (Corning, IA), a master's degree candidate in the WIU Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration (RPTA). "In addition, we sat in on lectures about architecture, traditions and Chinese history with professors from the local college, Zheijing Normal University."

Fuller and Jeremy Robinett, an assistant professor in RPTA, returned in July from Jinhua (Zheijing Province), China. Through the work of Richard Carter—executive director of the WIU School of Distance Learning, International Studies and Outreach—they each were selected (among a total of 42 participants from 15 countries) to take part in the pilot program. Sponsored by the Foreign and Overseas-Chinese Affairs Office of Jinhua Municipal People's Government, the Jinhua Homestay Project provides participants with comprehensive introductions to the history, customs and architecture of traditional Chinese villages and offers them opportunities to experience local culture and learn traditional Chinese handicrafts.

"Quite often when tourism opportunities are being developed, communities decide to go the route of mass tourism—they build hotels and create attractions they think will draw in large numbers of people," Robinett explained. "Jinhua is approaching tourism development from a different angle. They're focusing their energies on saving cultural traditions and historical buildings by weaving tourists into the local communities through the homestays. They are, in essence, making the experiences of rural Chinese villagers the attraction. And, rather than standardized hotels, they're creating opportunities for tourists to determine what levels of comfort they want by opening a variety of homestays for accommodations. They clearly want to increase economic activity in these areas, but they seem committed to cultural traditions and historical buildings being integral parts of their plans."

It was the through the efforts of Carter—who works to establish relationships with international embassies and organizations across the globe to not only recruit international students for Western, but also to provide educational opportunities abroad for students and faculty at Western—that Fuller and Robinett were approached to take part in the program. Both applied separately, and in April, they found out they were each selected.

"Last fall, I visited the local governmental officials in this region during my recruiting trip with the State of Illinois Higher Education Trade Mission to China," Carter said. "I was invited to share an invitation of the three-week homestay project with representatives of Western, and once I returned to campus, I shared this opportunity in hopes of Leatherneck participation. I am excited we had two individuals represent Western in this program, and I hope many more will follow in the future."

The pair said they were attracted to the program because of the opportunity to stay with a local family and experience the culture of rural China in a way that many tourists cannot, or will not, through traditional travel plans.

"Roughly half of China's population lives in rural areas," Fuller noted. "This was a chance to experience China beyond Shanghai and Beijing, a side of China that not many people get to see. This was my first time in China, so everything was very different than any of my previous experiences traveling."

In addition to learning about Chinese culture, Fuller and Robinett helped develop materials designed to attract more international tourists to Jinhua and its historic villages. Fuller's team developed a magazine with information about the food, nature and culture of the Jinhua area.

"There were a total of five teams, each with about eight people. Each team worked on a different project aimed at promoting Jinhua," she explained. "My team was comprised of six Italians and one South African, along with five Chinese translators. The members of our team had different strengths, so by working together and using a visual approach (to help reduce translation errors), we were able to tell the story of Jinhua and its historic villages via a really cool magazine. Other projects included a brochure, a Tumblr site and a map of Jinhua. This part of the homestay project was appealing to me, because I am interested in pursuing a career in tourism."

Fuller is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV), who is studying in Western's RPTA department through the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs' Peace Corps Fellows Program in Community Development. She completed her Peace Corps service in Zambia. Robinett has previously taught study-abroad courses on adventure tourism in New Zealand.

For more information, contact Fuller at ME-Fuller@wiu.edu and/or Robinett at (309) 298-1967 or via email at JL-Robinett@wiu.edu. Learn more about the Jinhua Homestay Project at www.jinhua-homestay.com.

Mary Fuller (back row, second from right), and other individuals selected for the pilot Jinhua Homestay Project.